After the conflict football in the western half of the country was re-organized into five regional top flight divisions.Holstein Kiel played from 1947 until 1963 in the Oberliga Nord (I) and twice finished as runners-up (1953, 1957).The team reach the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 DFB-Pokal, after beating FC Energie Cottbus, MSV Duisburg and 1. In the quarter-final they lost to Borussia Dortmund 0–4 that ended their cup adventure.

Holstein also made regular appearances in the national playoffs, finishing as vice-champions in 1910 before capturing their only German title in 1912.

They remained a first division side until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963.

The club quickly became competitive and in 1910 they reached the German championship final where they lost 0–1 in extra time to Karlsruher FV.

In 1912 they captured the German championship with a 2:1 overtime semi-final victory over defending champions Viktoria 89 Berlin followed by a 1–0 win in the final over the previous year's champions, Karlsruher FV.

Holstein Kiel is the product of the merger of predecessor sides Kieler Fußball-Verein von 1900 and Kieler Fußball-Club Holstein.

The earliest of these two sides was Kieler Fussball-Verein (later 1.

They next year, they were eliminated early on, and no final was played in 1945.

Since the end of the war, Kiel has primarily been a tier II and III club.

Holstein Kiel (KSV Holstein or Kieler SV Holstein) is a German association football and sports club based in the city of Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein.

Through the 1910s and 1920s the club was a dominant side in northern Germany winning six regional titles and finishing as runners-up another six times.

The following year they reached the semi-finals where they were eliminate 0–2 by TSV 1860 München.